One of the best parts about staying at the Quimby Colony is the food. I have been babbling endlessly about the lunch I had yesterday so I think it’s time I blog about it. James is the culinary fellow here right now and quite honestly I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about food or make food quite like he does. There’s a lot of modesty there but more importantly there’s an intense exploration in his food. He’s an obvious artist. It’s the fact that nothing is perfect, he’s experimenting and questioning his own ideas using all of his knowledge and experience as tools in his craft. He is constantly learning, he’s a student of himself as well as his cooking.

That being said, yesterday he served a meal that I will never forget. I wish I could describe it but in trying to do so I realized that food is something you have to experience. I know I can write about how it smelled and looked and felt and I can post photos but the real experience of being hungry, being served, and tasting that unknown meal cannot be communicated. But I’ll try!

He said, “Think quiche,” when he served it. But it wasn’t quiche. It was pink and close to formless but still identifiable as a tranche, albeit a sloppy one, and it was served on a bed of arugula with a drizzle of arugula sauce. The first bite was exceptional. The arugula was peppery, the sauce was light and sweet and lemony and the “quiche” was like melted cream and custard with the most intensely perfect flavor ever. It could not have been better. It wasn’t too anything or not enough anything. It was just amazing.

There was no room for dessert.

But if there had been, it would’ve been this plum tart. It’s hard to believe that I could’ve passed this up but I did and I was heartbroken to hear this morning that it was gone.

Wait until you hear about the chicken salad. What a pedestrian name for that masterpiece!